Working Conditions

Migrant Workers' Forum Highlights Need for Change

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein | Posted 01.02.2012

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein

We are engaged in a year-long project looking at Latino workers in the Midwest and the degree to which enforcement agencies are protecting them. Thus far, we can say that at the federal level it's not a pretty story.

Alleged Worker Abuse At Manufacturer Of Cars 2 Toys

The Huffington Post | Harry Bradford | Posted 10.30.2011

Toys bring great joy to many young children. But produced under abusive conditions, they also bring pain. An undercover investigation in Shenzhen,...

Top 5 Reasons Why Teachers Keep Leaving The Classroom

Posted 10.11.2011

Just as high school dropout and graduation rates are a persistent issue of concern in the education arena, teacher turnover rates are similarly troubl...

Businesses Can Help Their Employees Beat The Heat

AP | By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG | Posted 09.21.2011

NEW YORK -- The searing heat this summer is giving small business owners a great opportunity to create some goodwill with their employees. When the h...

"The Triangle Fire": An American Tragedy

Jackie K. Cooper | Posted 05.25.2011

Jackie K. Cooper

"The Triangle Fire" is the story of an event that changed lives as well as people's attitudes. The fact that over one hundred and fifty people had to die to gain these advances is a tragedy within itself.

Any Job Is a Good Job? Think Again

Dan Viederman | Posted 05.25.2011

Dan Viederman

We must continue to hold companies accountable for the working conditions of people who sew, build and harvest for them at the bottom of their supply chains.

Apple in China, Or Why My New Toy is Covered in Blood

Zachary Stockill | Posted 05.25.2011

Zachary Stockill

I like to think of myself as a conscientious consumer, and I was aware of the conditions of much of Chinese labor. This fleeting consideration was swiftly superseded by the tiny excitement of a new toy.

Crab Industry Workers Reveal Injustice of 'Legal' Migrant Labor

Michelle Chen | Posted 05.25.2011

Michelle Chen

While the "illegal" label dehumanizes immigrants, second-class legal status, perhaps even more dangerously, may paper over injustice, as long as the labor market takes inequality for granted.

4 Top Reasons Illegal Immigration Grew Out of Control and How We Can Fix It

Damien Hoffman | Posted 05.25.2011

Damien Hoffman

Only 5,000 green cards a year are issued to low-skilled workers seeking permanent residence. Clearly, we should expect a black market in labor to arise when demand for workers far exceeds the legal supply.

Open Letter To James Cameron: Fairness For Visual Effects Artists

Lee Stranahan | Posted 05.25.2011

Lee Stranahan

Visual effects artists typically work with no contract, no paid vacation, no benefits, and often no paid overtime. And because of the nature of the work health problems are common.

Peaceful Revolution: Paid Leave Makes Horse Sense

Jodie Levin-Epstein | Posted 05.25.2011

Jodie Levin-Epstein

Giving U.S. workers some paid time off just makes horse sense. If horses can get it, why can't their bosses?

The Secret -- I Saw, Close-up, the Real Root of Global Economic Collapse

Frances Moore Lappe | Posted 05.25.2011

Frances Moore Lappe

Why do I call this modern-day form of slavery and its legal face -- this kind of gross injustice -- the secret of today's imploding economies?